Condenser for automobile radiators



C. A. HOWELL. CONDENSER FOR AUTOMOBILE RADIATORS. FILED ocT. 13. 1920.

Dec. 19, 1922. 1,439,242

Patented Dec 19,1922,

onnsrnn A. n'ownm, or pns insane ii o nns, oWA, nssisnon or ONE-THIRDT0131 JQsWIr'r, f OEDES iaoinnsiowne x i oonnnnsnn Eon nU'roiaonrL-ERani Areas.

Applicationsfiled October is, i920. Serial no. 416,729.

To all whom it may] concern-1 Be it known that I, Cnnsrnn A. HOWEL acitizen of the United States, andresident of Des Moines, in the countyof Polk and State of lowa have invented a certain new and usefulCondenser for Automobile Radigators, oi? which the :ifollowin'g isaspecification.

The object of myinvention is to provide a condenser or simple,durableand inexpensive construction, designed-to be applied to anautomobile radiator instead of theordinary radiator cap forthe purposeof res ceiring the vapor arising frointhe alcohol,

or, other non-freezing solution ordinarily placcd'in radiators n coldweather, and reraining;- same therein where it will be subjected to coldair for the purpose of condensing s vapor, and then returningthecondensed vapor to the interior of the radiatorwhere it willcomininglewith the water r or. the remainder of the liquid therein, to

'izh'ereby prevent loss by vaporization-oi the -n n-'l i e e:4iu;solution in automobile radiators. 1 7

A further object is to provide a device of this character into which thevapors will circulatefreely, and in which'a inaxiinuin oi the vapor "isexposed to the condensing surfaces of the device, for the purpose ofrapidly and eiliciently condensing the liqui and. returning itato theradiator! 'My invention consists in theconstruction, arrangement andcombination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects con-'teinplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set fortln pointed:out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawingsrin which:I

' Figure 1 shows a perspective View of a radiator having my improvedcondenser applied thereto. 7 p I v Eigure 2 shows a top or plan View ofthe condenser, a part being broken away to show the internalconstruction: and

Figure 3 shows an enlarged detail View, 7 partly in rertical section,illustrating the-in terior construction of the condenser.

Referring: to the accompanying drawings l have used th reference-numeral10 to indicate an automobile radiator of ordinary construction. Theseradiators are ordinarily provided at their tops with a screw threadedcap, which may be removed for filling; pur poses. l

' .My .iinproyed attachinentfi comprises a" screW-threaded cap lljsiinilarto the caps now used on the. filling pipes of radiators. Inthecentral portion ofthis cap s an openended tube 12, extended fronith'etop ofthe a cap and tofaf'consii'lerable distance above it.

This screw-threadedtube is firmly secured to the cap, preferably by locknuts lSQabove and below the screw cap screwed to the tube.

Mounted on top of the upper look not .13, I and surrounding the tube 125is 'thecondenser body portion. composed of series of sheet'nietal discsthe lower one l l being fitted aroundthetube 12 and the upper onelobeing fitted'around 1 This is preferably the collar 16, on which thereis a screw cap 1'? to. provide access to the interior, and

through Whichithe radiator may befilled whendesirecbv Between the lowerdisc l i and the upper disc 15 1s a, series of sheet metal discs, withtheirfouter edges connected together by lapjoints 18 and their inner;

edges connected together by lap joints-l9;

the inner ends being spaced apart from the tube 12 and the discs beingarranged, "as clearly shown in Figure 3, so that the air Inay'lreelycirculate between each pair of discs. from the outer edges thereof tothe inner edges, and on the interior t heVapor may y'fre'ely circulatebetween the alternate .p'airs of'discs out to the outer edges, thusforming an enclosed chainber forthe vapor and a series of passagewaysbetweeirthe vaporcontainingdiscs through which the atmospheric air mayfreely circulate.

'ing downwardly to-a' point below the top of the cylindeg 12, andbetween said cylinder and the adjacent lap joints '19, is a vent pipe20,0penat both ends.

For the purpose of returning the water of condensation from thecondenser back into the radiator, I have provided atube 21extended'through the tube 12mm it's'upper end aboye the bottom of thedisc 14; and its Secured to the upper disc 15; and extend lower endextendeddownwardly farenoughf to enter the liquid within the radiator.

In practical use i the device is readily, quickly and easily applied toany ordinary radiator by removing the radiator cap and placing" thereonthe condenser, and after it has been thus installed it performs itsworl:

automatically withoutany attention on they part '(jii ijlle operator."

Vihcn vautomobile radiators are cxwosed l l it is well known that whenthe automobile engine is in use the liquid will be heated,

" and when it is heated even to a temperature below the boiling point,of water. the alcohol or other non-freezing solution will con i-v menceto vaporize. Under these-' circumstances it frequently happens thattl-ievapor escapes. from the radiator and before the op- .eratoruoit theautomobile becomes aware of thedact substantially all ottheclcoliol haspassed off in vapor, leaving substantially clear water, which, of coursewill readily freezexwhen subjected to low enough temperatures. i

.By the use of my device and assuming that the radiator liasoncebeen-filled with a non-freezing solution, say, ror instance,

fifty per cent alcohol and fifty per cent below the liquid in theradiator.

the ordinary. overflow pipe with which, QlJiLlJOZS are ord narilyequipped and \i'liich Water, tlienwhenxthe engine becomes heated andthe-mixture beginsto vaporize, the vapor will rise through the tube 12into the condenser, and as it fills the upper part of the condenser, theair in the condenser being heavier, willclescend, and as soon as this issubjected to a slight amount of pressure due to the presence of thevapor th air at the lower part of the condenser will. be

torcedout through the air veiitQO, thus permitting the vapor to freely.rise within the condenser. The vapor thus riornied within the condenserwill spread out between the condenser discs, and the atmospheric airwill pass through between the discs, thus subjecting the outer surfacesof the sheet metal discs to cold and rapidly moving air, causingrapidcondenszition on the interior of the condenser, and asthiscoiidensatioii falls to the bottoniofthe condenser it will escapethrough the tube 21 to a point In a device of this kind I have foundthat it is necessary to have a means for the escape of air sin-order topermit vapor to readily rise within the condenser, as otherwise the'vapor would be forced to pass out through could not be plugged when adevice of this kind is used. l urtherniore, I have found that it'isdesirable to have the air escape piperun from a point near the. bottomoi? the condenser body portion and from a point between the tube 12 andthe interior contain vapor, and also havingits outer surfaces formed inlayers topei'iiiitthe atmospheric air to pass between the layers of thecondenser body portion ior cooling purposes, and an air vent6X't61'1(li11g'-f1'011) av point near the bottom or the condenser to apoint of discharge, for the purposes stated.

2. A condenser tachinent tor automobiie radiators comprising a hollowbody portion,-a i opeiieiided tube at the bottom of the hollow bodyportion and designed to be inserted into a radiatorabove the "ivaterline, a

condensation pipe leading from the interior oi the body portion throiI111 u tube and desigiier'i to extend into the radiator below thewaterline,and an air venttiibe leading from the interior of the bodyportion upwardlyto a point of discharge above the bod portion, for thepurposes stated.

is extended, means tor detachably securing the tube to the cap, acondensation tube supported in the aforesaid tube, and extendingdo'w'nnuirdly to a point beneath the cap, a condenser body comprising aseries'oi" sheet metal discs, the lower one around the saidiirstmentioned tube, and the upper one being, closedat its ipper end, and theintermediate ones being open at their central portions, the adjacentintermediate discs being secured together at their outer ends and alsoat their central portions term an enclosed compartment in which thevapor contained in the interior may flow outwardly to the outer edges ofthe space etween the, discs, and the atmospheric air may flow inwardlbetween the layers of discs to the place wl'iere their inner edges areunited, and a vent pipe extending from a point between the firstmentioned tube and the interior of the condenser to a point whe e itwill dischai through the top of the condenser, sub ut iallyiis and torthe purposes stated. 1

7 Des Moines, Iowa, October '7, 1.920.

being fitted a; A condenser comprising an open-ended tube, a radiatorcap through which the tube

